Key Terms

SPECIFICATION

A precise statement of a set of requirements to be satisfied by a material, Product, system or service that indicates the procedures for determining whether each of the requirements is satisfied.

COLOUR FASTNESS

The property of resistance to a named agency, e.g. washing, light, crocking, gas-fumes etc.
Note: On the standard scale, five grades are usually recongnised, from 5, signifying no visible change, to 1, substantial change. For light fastness, eight grades are used, 8 representing the highest degree of fastness

COLOUR STAINING

The unintended transfer of colour from a textile to another textile with which it is in contact, usually in wet or damp conditions.

BLEEDING

Loss of colourant from a coloured material in contact with a liquor, leading to an obvious colouration of the latter,or of adjacent areas of the same or other materials.

CROSS STAINING

In fastness testing of coloured textiles the transfer of colourant from the test material to adjacent material. In textile printing, the tinting of whites in the washing process.

MULTIFIBRE FABRIC

Adjacent fabric used in fastness test staining to assess on various types of fibre. Warp stripes are of different fibres such as acetate, bleached cotton, polyamide, polyester, acrylic, wool/viscose.

GREY SCALE

A series of pairs of neutrally coloured chips, showing increasing contrast within pairs, used visually to assess contrast between other pairs of pattern, for example the ISO Grey Scale comprise two series of chips against which the magnitude of the change in colour of a specimen submitted to a fastness test and of staining of adjacent uncoloured material can be visually assessed and rated on a 1 to 5 scale.

NOMENCLATURE FOR COLOUR FASTNESS RATINGS

COLOURFASTESS TO LIGHT

The rating varies from 1 to 8. Where 1 indicates poor fastness and 8 indicates excellent fastness.

DIMENSIONAL STABILITY

The ability of a fabric or floor covering to retain its dimensions when exposed to use and/or and ageing process, to water, washing, steaming, drying or other process.
Change in length and/or width of a textile when subjected to specified conditions.
Note: The changes may be positive (Elongation) or negative(Shrinkage).

APPEARANCE AFTER LAUNDERING

Visual appearance of garment/fabric after laundering as compared to original.

COLOUR FASTNESS TO ACTUAL LAUNDERING

Rating by Grey scale for change in shade or depth loss after domestic wash as per care instruction.

ABRASION TEST

A test used to simulate and measure the wear performance of textile yarns, fabric or floor covering, in use.

TENSILE STRENGTH/BREAKING STRENGTH

The maximum tensile force recorded in extending a test piece to breaking point.

% ELONGATION AT BREAK

The increase in length of a specimen at breaking point during a tensile test, expressed as percentage of original length.

TEARING FORCE/TEARING STRENGTH

The average force required to continue a tear previously started in a fabric.

PILLING

The entangling of fibres during washing, dry cleaning, testing or in wear to form balls or pills which stand proud on the surface of a fabric and which are of such density that light will not pass through them (so that they cast a shadow).

PILLING RATING

1. Very severe pilling
2. Severe pilling
3. Moderate pilling
4. Slight pilling
5. No pilling

BURSTING TEST

A test in which a fabric specimen, held in place by a coaxial ring clamp of given diameter, is distended to rupture either by the distension of an elastic diaphragm when subjected to fluid pressure or by the action of a ball moving through the ring clamp.
Kilonewton per sq. meter (kpa) = 6.89 x Pound force per sq. inch (Ibs/sq.inch)

NUMBER OF THREADS/UNIT LENGTH (THREAD DENSITY)

The number of warp yarns (ends) in a specified width of fabric. The number of weft yarns (picks) in a specified length of fabric.
Number of threads per centimetre = 0.3937 x Number of threads per inch

YARN NUMBER / COUNT OF YARN

It is a numerical expression of fineness of yarn and expressed in terms of mass per unit length such as Tex and Denier in the direct system or the length per unit mass of a yarn, such as Cotton count, Worsted count in the indirect system
Denier = 9 x Tex, Tex = 590.5/ Ne (Cotton count), Denier = 5315/ Ne(Cotton count)

WEIGHT PER UNIT AREA

Mass/Weight per unit area expressed in grams per square metre (Ounces per square yard.)
Grams per sq. metre = 33.906 x Ounces per sq.yard

WRINKLE RESISTANCE/CREASE RESISTANCE

Resistance to, and/or recovery from, creasing of a textile material during use.
Note: It may still be possible to introduce defined creases in a crease-resistance fabric by the application of heat and pressure.
The early use of the’non-crush ‘finish was replaced by ‘anti-crease’ finish and ‘crease-resist’ finish:’Easy-care’ fabric is a more general term.

CREASE RECOVERY ANGLE

It is a quantitative measure of crease resistance.

SEAM SLIPPAGE

The unwanted displacement of fabric yarns parallel to a seam line arising from transverse stress, resulting in a partial or complete loss of seam integrity.

SEAM STRENGTH

The load required to cause seam failure, either in a sample removed from a made-up product or in a sample made to simulate a seam in a product, normally measured at right angles to the seam line.

FLAMMABILITY

The ability of a material or product to burn with a flame under specified test conditions.

BLEND COMPOSITON

Qualitative test method describes chemical and microscopical techniques for identifying textile fibers. Quantitative test method presents individual procedures for the quantitative determination of moisture content, nonfibrous content and fiber composition of textiles.

ABSORBENCY

The propensity of a material to take in and retain liquid, usually water, in the pores and interstices of the material.

WATER REPELLENCY

The relative degree of resistance of a fabric to surface wetting, water penetration, water absorption, or any combination of these properties.

Note: The term is used in relation to tests carried out with several very different pieces of apparatus and, therefore, the same parameters are not involved in every case (e.g., Bundesmann test, Wira shower test,Credit rain simulation tester, Spray ratingtest).

TWIST

The number of turns about its axis per unit of length, observed in a yarn or other textile strands. Twist direction is described as S and Z according to the direction to which centre is inclined, when yarn is viewed vertically.
Twist/metre = 39.37 X Twist/inch.

WEAVE

The pattern of interlacing of Warp and Weft in a woven fabric .eg. Plain, Twill, Drill, Satin, Sateen etc.

CARDED YARN

A yarn produced from fibres that have been carded but not combed.

COMBED YARN

Yarn produced from fibres that have been carded (or prepared) and combed.

TEXTURISED YARN

Contineous filament yarns which have been processed to introduce durable crimps, coils, loops or other fine distortion along the length of the filament.

BOW

A fabric condition resulting when filling yarns or knitted courses are displaced from a line perpendicular to the selvedges and form one or more arcs across the width of the fabric.

SKEW

A fabric condition in which Warp and Weft yarns, although straight, are not at right angle to each other.

LEA STRENGTH

The force required to rupture a Lea of yarn, expressed in units of force, as breaking load.

LEA COUNT-STRENGTH PRODUCT, CSP

The product of the Lea strength (Poundforce), and the actual count (Ne) of cotton yarn

SINGLE YARN BREAKING STRENGTH

The breaking strength of a single strand of yarn, mono filament or cord, not knotted or looped but running straight between the clamps of the testing machine.

RKM (Rhy’s KiloMetre)

It is a measure of Tenacity and expressed as gms/Tex.

IDENTIFICATION OF DYE

It aims towards determining the class of dye used on yarn/fabric during Dyeing/Printing.

BARIUM ACTIVITY NUMBER (DEGREE OF MERCERISATION )

It is the ratio of amount of Barium hydroxide absorbed by the mercerised specimen to that absorbed by the unmercerised specimen multiplied by 100. It indicates the presence and completeness of the mercerizing process in cotton yarns and fabrics.

Barium activity number in the range of 100-105 indicates no mercerisation, in the range of 140-150 indicatedcomplete mercerisation, in the range of 120-130 (For high twist yarn / fabric in the range of 115-125) indicates satisfactory mercerisation.

SIZE ON THE FABRIC

Amount of nonfibrous material deposited during sizing (on warp).

WATER SOLUBLE MATTER

Amount of soluble matter which can be removed by washing.

ASH CONTENT

It expresses the amount of inorganic material present on textile material. It could be due to non removal of inorganic material during processing, non removal of processing chemicals during washing or salt deposited (from water hardness etc.)

WAX CONTENT

Amount of natural or added wax present in textile material.

TOTAL EXTRACTABLE CONTENT

Expresses the amount of organic matter which can be removed by repeated treatment with suitable solvent.

TERRY RATIO

Ratio of pile length to warp length.

PILE HEIGHT

Length of pile or tufts above the backing measured in a vertical plane.

NUMBER OF FILAMENT

It is the number of individual filaments per yarn.

ZIPPER STRENGTH

It evaluates the usefulness of a zipper in service.

pH

It expresses Acidity/Alkalinity on a scale from 0 to 14, with 7 indicating neutrality. Numbers less than 7 indicate increasing Acidity and greater than 7 indicate increasing Alkalinity.

BANNED AMINES

Certain amines which are carcinogenic/ harmful to humans are termed as banned amines. Dyes/Colourant based on these amines are forbidden. Amount of these amines released under specified conditions from dyed/printed material is determined in terms of ppm.

FORMALDEHYDE

Certain auxiliary chemicals are based on formaldehyde. Restricted use minimises the amount of released or free formaldehyde from textiles.

HEAVY METALS

Although heavy metals in small quantities are essential to life they can turn toxic in higher concentrations.Limiting values for heavy metals such as Arsenic, Antimony, Cadminum, Chromium, Cobalt, Copper, Lead,Mercury and Nickel have been stipulated in various eco standards.

RESIDUAL CHLORINE

Left over chlorine on the textile after bleaching.

PCP (PENTA CHLORO PHENOL )

It is a harmful preservative.

PCB (POLY CHLORINATED BIPHENYL )

It is a harmful herbicide.

PESTICIDES

These are organic compounds applied to control insects, weeds and diseases on plants.

WATER HARDNESS

Certain salts of Calcium and Magnesium when present in water contributes to water hardness. Hardness is expressed as temporary and permanent.

BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand )

It is an important effluent characteristic. It can be taken care of by biological treatment.

COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand )

It is an important effluent characteristic. It is due to reducing chemicals present in effluent.

ECO-TEXTILE

Textile which does not contain any hazardous or toxic substance and is biologically degradable, so that it does not cause damage to humanbeings, environment and ecology.

ECOLABEL

The system which guarantees that the labelled products have been successfully tested and certified as being free from the levels of harmful substances that could pose any risk to human health.

TERMS & CONDITIONS

1. TEST REPORTS ARE NORMALLY ISSUED WITHIN 3 – 4 DAYS OF WORKING TIME ON RECEIPT OF SAMPLE(S).
2. SAMPLE SHOULD BE SUBMITTED ALONG WITH FABRIC TESTING APPLICATION FORM.
3. SAMPLE SIZE SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO SATISFY ALL TESTING REQUIREMENTS.
4. URGENT TESTING WILL BE CHARGED DOUBLE & REPORTS ISSUED WITHIN 8 HOURS OF WORKING TIME DEPENDING UPON THE TEST.
5. SPECIAL TESTS MAY TAKE LONGER TIME.
6. PAYMENT SHOULD BE MADE BY CASH OR CHEQUE AT THE TIME OF SUBMITTING THE SAMPLE.
7. RATES MENTIONED ARE INDICATIVE AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. APPLICABLE SERVICE TAX IS ADDITIONAL.
8. FOR TESTS NOT MENTIONED IN THE PRICE LIST, CHARGES WILL BE PROVIDED ON REQUEST.
9. MINIMUM BILLING PER REPORT TO BE RS. 100/-.
10. TEST REPORTS CAN BE FAXED OR E-MAILED
11. NO EXTRA CHARGES FOR E-MAIL FACILITIES. HOWEVER OUTSTATION FAX / COURIER CHARGES / TRANSPORTATION CHARGES WILL BE CHARGED ACTUALS.
12. TESTED SAMPLES WILL BE RETAINED FOR 90 DAYS.
13. FREE GUIDANCE & CONSULTATION FOR CLIENTS UNDER CONTRACT.
14. TEST REPORTS ARE FOR THE USE OF CLIENT ONLY AND SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR LITIGATION OR PUBLICITY PURPOSE.
15. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED WITH AGS INDIA LABORATORIES PRIVATE LIMITED